The day began, as usual, with a search in the car park. We then drifted in all directions into the woodland. There was much discussion and complicated identification of a fir tree, finally named by reversing the pine needles. With two prominent parallel lines along the back of the needles it was Western Hemlock.
Our next puzzle was a chickweed look-a-like, though the plant had five individual petals, whilst chickweed has five deeply cut petals. On examining the leaves they had three prominent parallel veins making it Three-nerved Sandwort, Moetringia trinervis. The five petals are shorter than the sepals, making an attractive, star-like flower. It is quite common in shady woods but a first for me. Little did I know there would be many firsts for me today.
Keith gathered us all together (we are an unruly lot) and shepherded us along the woodland path. As he was carrying a stout, knobbly stick we all thought it wise to comply.
The path was lined with hawthorn, oak and western hemlock. The bright green new growth of which, resembling a soft bottlebrush, fooled us initially into thinking it was a different tree, but no, it was western hemlock.
Pausing in the warm sunshine, we examined the grasses, their awns, ligules and growth habit. I tracked one down as a Soft Brome. “How did you know that one?” asked an impressed Les. “Ah! Well, I saw some with Penny yesterday!” I replied. It’s always good to have an expert for a mentor.
On route to the meadow I saw a plant that appeared to be giant rhubarb. Thanks to Les it was identified as burdock. I didn’t realise it could grow so big! It towered almost to my height with enormous leaves, but surprisingly was the more common Lesser Burdock. We determined this by looking at the stem of the lower leaf, which was hollow-hence ‘lesser’.
The best was yet to come. I could see Nigel had chosen the lunch spot on a sandy bank and hurried to join him. Lunch was delayed as we kept finding little gems, such as Wild Pansy, Viola tricolor, with purple, lilac and yellow petals, now scarce and listed as near threatened. The flower was tiny, much smaller than the garden pansy. In fact we were to see many more scattered throughout the meadow, nestling amongst the tall grasses.
The next find was a tiny flower of the pea family, Birdsfoot, Ornithopus perpusillus. This is locally common and is quite exquisite when viewed through a lens, with a cream and pink 3 lobed flower. It gets its name from the bird’s-foot shaped seedpods.
But Sue made the find of the day, Hoary Cinquefoil, Potentilla argentea. Exciting to find a rare, near threatened plant. The leaves are very distinctive, narrowly palmately cut into five leaflets, slightly rolled. The deciding feature is the white hoar frosting on the back of the leaves. The county recorder was quite excited too when I submitted my records and she saw the photograph.
Across the meadow we went, past swathes of Germander Speedwell, to find the last treasure of the day. Amongst the long grass at the side of the path was a single Star of Bethlehem, Ornithogalum umbellatumt. We looked for the leaves in vain until I read that they have often disappeared by the time the plant flowers. It is unusual in that it appears to have 6 petals but in fact it has 3 petals and 3 sepals (all identical) and grows from a bulb, only opening fully in the sun. It was introduced to gardens in 1548 and was first recorded in the wild in 1650.
Reluctantly we left the meadow and the sandy margins with so many special plants.
What a lovely day!
Thank you Keith for organising it.
Margaret Mitchell
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